It's now up to a federal judge in Fort Worth to decide whether American Airlines mechanics intentionally slowed work to punish the company amid a breakdown in contract negotiations — and what he might have to do to get planes flying as usual.
A trial is set for Monday in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth to settle a dispute between the world's largest airline and its mechanics unions. American says a June 14 court order to get back to normal working conditions hasn't been effective, and there have been even more maintenance-related flight delays and cancellations than before.
Union officials say they've told employees to get back to work, but a stall in the four-year contract negotiation process "has dealt a severe blow to the morale and motivation of its front-line employees, which may be affecting the speed at which they do their safety-sensitive jobs," they said in a court filing.
